Mill Valley man falls short of record-setting swim in Sea of Cortez

A Mill Valley man's attempt to set a record by swimming across the Sea of Cortez was abandoned because of hypothermia along with some bad luck and poor weather.

Paul Lundgren, 49, hoped to traverse the 82 miles across the body of water — nonstop — over the span of two days. He began his swim at about 9 p.m. Sunday, but stopped after 31 miles and 20 hours in the water because of the cold.

But before the swim even began he had some setbacks: The boat he chartered to carry his crew did not show, he lost his back pack that had his swimming trunks, goggles and anti-jellyfish cream, then as he got into the water he was immediately stung by a stingray. Finally toward the end of his swim a storm kicked up.

"I don't think it was bad luck, it was part of the adventure," Lundgren said Tuesday night from Mexico. "Everything was against us. But I was happy the way I swam, and we all worked together. Yes, it was scary, but we were alive, you could feel it in every cell of your body."

Once the swim ended, Lundgren and his crew had to make their way back to shore in the middle of high waves.